Means for fastening the mouths of bags



Jan. 7, 1930. J; H. BENNETTS 1,742,570

MEANS FOR FASTENING THE MOUTHS OF BAGS Filed Sept. 21, 1927 Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR FASTENING TI-IE MOUTI-IS OF BAGS Application filed September 21, 1927, Serial No. 221,124, and in Australia October 12, 1926.

Hitherto it has been customary to fasten the mouths of bags containing grain or other produce by sewing the same with twine, which operation is slow and laborious and involves considerable waste of twine. Furthermore, to open bags fastened by the method described, it is necessary to cut the twine which is thus rendered usel es and rip out the cut twine whereby the bags are frequently damaged. a

My invention has been devised to provide an improved method of and means for fastening the mouths of bags whereby the disadvantages incidental to the twine sewing method are obviated.

F or fastening the mouths of bags or sacks, I provide a needle of suitable length and thickness and skewers of required length formed of flexible wire. The needle is threaded and twisted through the bag top when an end of a wire skewer is engaged with the projecting needle end. The needle is then withdrawn, thus pulling the skewer into the position formerly occupied by the needle. The ends of the skewer are fashioned to engage the bag sides so as to prevent their accidental withdrawal. hen it is required to open a bag one end of the skewer is straightened, when the skewer can be instantly withdrawn and is available for subsequent use as a bag fastener.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view of the needle.

Figure 2 is a view of a wire skewer.

Figure 3 is a top view of a bag showing the needle threaded through the closed mouth of the bag.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the skewer in its fastening position following the withdrawal of the needle.

In these views 5 designates a relatively long needle suitable for the width of the bags to be fastened. The needle is preferably formed of steel and it has an eye 6 adjacent to one end 7 which is pointed and slightly curved, and a handle 8 at its opposite end. 9 indicates a skewer formed of flexible wire of required length and having at one end a ring or loop 10.

The mouth of the bag 11 having been closed by being drawn together, the needle 5 is threaded through the bag top from end to end with a twisting motion, the curved pointed end 7 being turned into the bag fabric as the needle is twisted.

An end of the flexible wire skewer 9 is bent into a hook substantially as indicated by 12 and is engaged with the needle by being inserted through the eye 6. The needle is now withdrawn from the bag by a. pull exerted on its handle 8, pulling the skewer into the position formerly occupied by the needle. The hook and the loop or ring at the opposite ends of the skewer engage the sides of the bag and effectively preventaccidental displacement of the skewer when the bag mouth is fastened thereby.

To open the bag, it is only necessary to bend back the hooked end 12 of the flexible wire skewer, when the latter can be instantly withdrawn, without damaging the bag in any way, by a pull exerted on the ring or loop 10. The detached skewer is then available for future use in fastening the mouth of a bag.

What I do claim is The method of fastening the closed mouth 1 of a bag, comprising bringing the ends of a bag together and forming same into horizontal corrugations and temporarily holding same in this condition by the corrugation forming medium, thereafter drawing a rigid tying rnecium through the corrugations by the corrugation forming medium, and then anchoring the tying medium in the bag to permanently close the mouth of the bag.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

JOHN HENRY BENNETTS. 

